The Green Line trains have yet to pick up a paying customer, and there have already been four accidents.

None of the car collisions involving test trains resulted in injuries, but each has been a reminder that the light-rail line poses safety challenges unseen in St. Paul since the 1950s.

Where the Blue Line mostly runs along a highway with restricted access, Green Line trains will run down the center of one of the Twin Cities' busiest streets. There are no gated road crossings or pedestrian bridges to separate street activity from the front of a 50-ton train traveling at 35 mph.

"We all, as human beings, are creatures of habit," said Metro Transit Police Chief John Harrington. Along with other vehicles and pedestrians, motorists must now take trains into account. "We're really emphasizing that you have to look," Harrington said.

Trolleys carrying passengers along Twin Cities streets were a common sight in the early half of the past century. But buses were cheaper, and the trolley system was scrapped in the 1950s.

With the Green Line making its debut Saturday between the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, officials have been stressing safety along the entire stretch. They've even wrapped train cars with safety messages for drivers and pedestrians.

Accidents, though, still happen.

In the three accidents in St. Paul from April 30 to May 16, Metro Transit said the motorists were at fault. One made a left turn when the turn signal was red and was struck by a train.

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Two other accidents happened when vehicles made illegal U-turns. The fourth occurred in downtown Minneapolis when a car struck the front of a test train; the cause is under investigation.

As of February, the Blue Line linking downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America has seen 82 accidents since it began running in 2004. Ten were fatal; 30 involved injuries. Thirty-four percent occurred when motorists made illegal turns; 29 percent happened when drivers disregarded warning devices, such as a train's bells or a lowered stop arm, according to Metro Transit.

The train operator was blamed in one accident.

Avoiding accidents can be simple, said Lorraine Douglas as she waited for a bus recently at Snelling and University avenues.

"When it says to stop, I stop," said the 49-year-old resident of St. Paul's Midway neighborhood who works in Minneapolis. "People who are having problems and getting into accidents try to beat the train. ... You can't beat a train."

TRAINING FOR SAFETY

A light-rail train traveling at 20 mph takes 81 feet to stop, according to Metro Transit. Many of the trains along University Avenue will be going about 35 mph.

Throw in cars, rush-hour congestion, pedestrians and bicyclists, and the job of train operators can get complicated.

"It can be challenging at times, but we are professionals," driver trainee David Nelson said.

Metro Transit requires its light-rail trainees to first have been bus drivers. The trainees spend two weeks in the classroom and 120 hours in a train for testing and observation before they are certified, said training instructor Rolland Green, a Metro Transit train operator.

Safety is a part of the training. For example, Green stresses, the operators must warn motorists and pedestrians.

"Anytime we move the train, we have to make noise ... so they can move out of the way," Green said.

Rail operators ring the trains' bells as they enter and leave every station and cross intersections. They can sound their horn or bells if they need to alert someone who may be in the area and not paying attention.

PEDESTRIAN EXPOSURE

St. Paul is pushing for more dense development along the Green Line, and that means more pedestrians, many of them waiting for trains at stations built in the middle of the street.

It's the responsibility of both pedestrians and drivers to pay attention, city engineer John Maczko said.

Planners have made several improvements to increase pedestrian safety, he said. There are countdown timers at intersections to let people know how much time they have to cross, and audible pedestrian signals for the visually impaired.

Sara Schmidt, a volunteer in charge of communications for St.

Green Line trains are wrapped with signs reminding drivers to watch for pedestrians as part of a Minnesota Department of Transportation safety campaign. (Pioneer Press: Mara Gottfried)

Paul Walks, said she thinks too few people are aware of the state's pedestrian laws, which say drivers must stop for people at all intersections whether they are marked or unmarked.

Pedestrians also have to obey traffic signs and signals, said Sgt. Paul Paulos, a St. Paul police spokesman. They must use care before stepping into traffic.

Metro Transit and St. Paul police began an educational and enforcement safety campaign for motorists and pedestrians in May, Harrington said, adding that his department has issued 84 citations and 173 warnings.

"What we're trying to accomplish is common-sense driving and pedestrian habits along the Green Line," said Metro Transit Police Capt. Jim Franklin, who oversees the East Command.

St. Paul Police Senior Cmdr. Paul Iovino, who heads the department's Western District, told officers last week to begin spending more time enforcing and educating drivers and pedestrians about crosswalk violations.

The nonprofit St. Paul Smart Trips has been working with Metro Transit, neighborhood groups and employers to spread safety tips, said Damian Goebel, Smart Trips spokesman.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Transportation will launch a $200,000 pedestrian safety campaign Saturday, MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said. The Green Line is a big focus of the effort, to the point officials have wrapped train cars with safety messages like: "Hey, Drivers ... STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS AT EVERY CORNER."

Elizabeth Hernandez, MaryJo Webster and C.J. Sinner contributed to this report. Mara H. Gottfried can be reached at 651-228-5262. Follow her at twitter.com/ MaraGottfried.

Fast Fact: Trying to skip out on a $1.75 fare is going to cost scofflaws. Habitual fare evaders will likely receive a misdemeanor citation. The cost: $180. They could also be kicked off the entire transit system for a month. If it's a first offense, though, the officer may write a misdemeanor citation or give a warning, though the person will be escort from the train and to a ticket machine.